In addition to owning a castle that was nearly surrounded by the local lake, Lord Rusillin also headed a mercenary company working for the Earl of Westria. Meanwhile, Penric's new roommate Clee decided to introduce him to his own brother, Lord Rusillin kin Martenden. Tigney had little to say to Penric beyond grim warnings, but he did permit Penric to read in the library while he studied the problem. Upon arriving at his destination, Penric met Learned Tigney, a former sorcerer who ran the Order. Along the way, he came to know his demon companion somewhat and named her Desdemona. So he was sent on a three-day journey to Martensbridge, where an Order of the Bastard was that could determine what action needed taking. His marriage-to-be was off, everyone he cared about was afraid to touch him, and he'd had no training in how to manage any demon, much less an extremely powerful one. He fell unconscious and was carried to the local hospital. He stopped to help her, and instead received her extremely powerful chaos demon. Penric kin Jurald, the 19-year-old youngest son of the former Lord, was traveling to Greenwell to marry Preita, a wealthy cheese merchant's daughter, when he came upon an elderly woman dying on the road ahead of him.

From that moment on, Penric's life is irreversibly changed, and his life is in danger from those who envy or fear him. Her avowed god is The Bastard, 'master of all disasters out of season', and with her dying breath she bequeaths her mysterious powers to Penric. As he approaches to help, he discovers that the lady is a Temple divine, servant to the five gods of this world. On his way to his betrothal, young Lord Penric comes upon a riding accident with an elderly lady on the ground, her maidservant and guardsmen distraught.

Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold